Crime breakdown: Inside the NYPD's stats

The NYPD gave New Yorkers a more transparent look into the city’s crime over the weekend when the department released its new interactive data map. The online graphic, at maps.nyc.gov/crime, provides new insight into the safety of some communities.

The mayor’s office yesterday said the city is on track to have a record low number of murders this year. But the map, which displays data from Jan. 1, 2012, to Oct. 31, 2013, shows crime concentrations in certain precincts. Midtown South in particular led in several crime categories and was the precinct with the most crimes per 1,000 residents in 2013, with a rate of 110.5. City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., who chairs the public safety committee, said the high number isn’t surprising, given the area’s popularity with tourists.

“You’ve got pickpockets; they look for crowds and they look in crowds,” he said.

The map was designed to be adaptable, as it allows users to pinpoint crime patterns down to a block, and Vallone said he thinks it will help bring crime down once New Yorkers get a look at their neighborhoods. “They’ll say, ‘Hey, there was a burglary near me, maybe I should keep my eyes open,’” he said.

Here is a breakdown of the data based on the map, ranked by reported crimes committed per 1,000 residents in 2013.